


i wanna know what he knows, i wanna know your secrets

by onetruethree



Series: Zutaraang Roommates AU [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Multi, OT3, Roommates, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:55:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21882625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onetruethree/pseuds/onetruethree
Summary: When Aang and Katara were thinking of colleges to go to, they had already been dating for a year, and didn't even consider a long distance relationship. Plus, it wouldn’t be that hard to find a good university that fit both of their needs since their interests were pretty similar. So when they settled on a university that was perfect for both of them, it didn't take long for them to apply.The only drawback was that freshmen had to live on campus in the dorms, meaning they would have to live in separate rooms with new roommates for a year.
Relationships: Aang/Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Zutaraang Roommates AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1576306
Comments: 7
Kudos: 89





	i wanna know what he knows, i wanna know your secrets

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for all the support on my last fic! This is the prequel, but you don't have to read that one to understand this one, and vice versa. Comments are much appreciated and I hope you guys enjoy this one!

“Aang, are you ready?” Katara asked her boyfriend, who had been in the passenger seat for over an hour as she drove the last leg of the trip. He didn't answer, so she shook him, hoping he would wake up. She hadn’t known he was actually asleep, but it had been a long ride and they had to get up really early, so she didn't blame him. “Aang?” She asked, leaning over him to get his attention.

He finally stirred, half of his face red from leaning on window. “Are we there?” He asked, still a little tired. 

Katara nodded and got out of the car, gesturing for him to do the same. “We have to move our stuff in." The back of the car, including the back seats were stuffed full of their luggage, since they had to fit belongings for both of them. Luckily, they didn't have too much to bring, and Katara estimated it wouldn’t take too many trips to take them up, based on how long it took them to get it all in the car. But before she started, she needed to wake her boyfriend up, and she had ideas for doing so that didn't involve true love’s kiss. “Aang!” She yelled from the back of the car. “Get up, or I’ll have to come and do it myself.” He didn't immediately jump up, which meant he probably fell back asleep, and Katara giggled to herself, knowing just what to do. 

She made her way around the car to his side and swung the door open, letting the cold autumn air hit him. Then, she swung her arms around him, one on each side of his body, and rammed her hands into his sides. That made him wake up, but even after he opened his eyes, Katara kept tickling him until he let out a laugh. “Katara, stop!” He finally said, the smile in his voice giving away his laugh, even when he was trying to sound serious. Nonetheless, she stopped tickling him and stepped back. “Are you awake now, sleepy head? We have to move in at some point.” 

He finally got out of his seat to help his girlfriend move their stuff up.   
  


“So, have you talked to your roommate at all?” Katara asked as they made their elevator ride to the second floor with the first batch of luggage, all of it Aang’s, so they could move him in first, because his room was a floor lower than hers.    
  


He shook his head. “No, he didn't even have any social media. All I know is his name: Zuko.” 

Katara tried to think of anyone she knew named Zuko, but couldn’t think of anyone. This guy would be a complete mystery. 

They made their way to Aang’s room, assuming they were the first ones there, so they were surprised to see Zuko already in the room, his stuff taking up half the space in the room. 

They stood in place, watching the man organize a few books on the provided desk until he turned around to look at them. “Oh,” Aang said, but after a second or two of surprise, he stepped forward and introduced himself. “I’m Aang, your new roommate.” Katara stood back, not ready to approach the stranger, and not feeling compelled to do so as much as Aang was. 

Zuko stared back at Aang and didn't say a word. Then, he saw Katara in the doorway and stared at her for a second, and then turned away to busy himself with unpacking his stuff. “Look, I’m not here to make friends. I would’ve gotten a single room if I could’ve.” 

This annoyed Aang. Although he and Katara probably would’ve done the same, they weren’t that disappointed to see they were all taken. After all, a roommate was just a potential friend. “Okay, I understand,” Aang answered back, and Katara was surprised to see him act so civil. He was excited about the ‘college experience’ of it all, so getting stuck with a weird roommate seemed like something to disappoint him. She smiled at her boyfriend, though, knowing this was most likely a sign of his growth rather than something negative. 

Katara set her stuff down at the doorway. “I’m gonna grab my stuff and bring it up to my room. Are you okay here?” She thought she would give them a few minutes to get to know each other. 

Aang nodded and watched her leave, not realizing he would have to deal with his new roommate who seemed more content to sit in silence than make small talk, which wasn’t exactly Aang’s preference. So, he spoke up. “So, have you had lunch yet? Katara, my girlfriend who was just here a second ago, and a few friends are gonna check out a lunch place here, do you want--” 

Before Aang could finish his sentence, Zuko said, “I said I’m not here to make friends.” This time it was much harsher, as if he was angry that Aang was even talking to him. 

He didn't try talking to him again. 

* * *

  
  


For the next few days until classes started, Aang and Katara spent most of their time in her room with her roommate, Suki. The only words they exchanged with Zuko were impersonal ones about where to put their stuff in the room, and even though Aang wanted to try reaching out to him, he knew it would be better to bury those feelings. 

Then, when classes started, they almost never even saw Zuko in the room, and they assumed he spent most of his time studying anywhere else. They began to give up, and Aang became content with ignoring him whenever he did see him around. 

Until one day, when a mysterious girl showed up at the door. Aang had been working hard studying for the first math test of the quarter, so he was surprised to be interrupted by a complete stranger. 

She didn't let Aang say a word, but instead when he opened the door, she immediately asked, “Is this Zuko’s room?”

His mind raced: was this an angry ex girlfriend, or a family member, or just a concerned friend? "Yes. And you are?" He knew it was better to ask then to assume her relationship to Zuko.

She paused, as if trying to decide whether to trust this stranger enough to tell him anything about herself. In the end, though, she answered, "His sister." She craned her neck to look around Aang, and seeing no sign of Zuko added, "Is he seriously not here?" She seemed angry, but Aang hadn't the faintest idea why.

"No, but if you need him I'm sure he'll be back soon, or I can pass along a message if you need." He was trying to stay as friendly as possible despite her bad attitude. 

She just frowned at him, not wanting to lighten the mood even to be polite. "Look, just tell him to answer his damn phone for once," she said, then turned around and left without warning.

Aang stood there, stunned for a few seconds, but ultimately decided to forget about it until he could ask Zuko about what it possibly could have meant, but even as he tried to do so, his mind started wandering back to the conversation. He wondered why his sister would be so angry, and why she would come here just to get that simple message across. It was nearing the holidays, so it made sense to want to get a hold of him, but he would have to ask Zuko to get the whole picture, and he wasn't sure that Zuko would be willing to say anything about the subject. 

During his wait, Katara got back from classes and showed up to see what Aang was up to, but instead she was greeted with him sitting alone, pondering. This wasn't exactly a rare occurrence for him, but she couldn't help but wonder what brought it on. 

Aang explained the situation to her, but even with the added help neither of them could figure out what to do that didn't involve talking to Zuko about it.

So, when Zuko showed up, Aang immediately told him. "Your sister came by wondering about you." 

Zuko froze in place, his hand balling into fists at his side, before he could even make it a foot from the door. "Really?" Was all he could say at first, and then after a minute of letting the news sink in added, "Did she say why she was here?"

"Not really, but she wanted you to answer her texts and calls." From what Aang could tell, she might've just been a worried sister, but he wanted to give Zuko the benefit of the doubt and assumed he must have a reason for not keeping in touch with his family. 

"Look, my family may seem to have good intentions, but they usually just call me to judge me. They all have a very strict plan for me, but I don't really want to follow in their footsteps." His voice pitched up a bit, and they both assumed it could be from holding back tears, which meant there was probably more to the story than he was willing to tell at the moment.

Although it wasn't exactly his life story, Aang was surprised he told anything about himself at all, and he was happy Zuko trusted them with this information. 

Katara stood up to face him and placed a hand on his arm, but he flinched at the touch and she stepped back. She had been acting on instinct, so she just did what she would've done for Aang, but Zuko was different. "Sorry," she said quietly, pulling back her hand, and looked him in the eye, checking his expression before continuing. He seemed nervous, obviously out of his comfort zone, but he didn't seem to be in protest of being cheered up by Aang and Katara. "Zuko, we all know family can be hard. Neither of us know what you're going through, but we'll help you through whatever it is."

Aang stood up to join his girlfriend. "You don't owe your family anything."

Zuko touched his eye, the edge of which held a scar that looked to be from a burn. It had been there since they met, and didn't seem like the kind of wound that would heal any time soon. Katara and Aang looked at each other in worry as they realized Zuko's family life might be darker than they first suspected if he associated that scar with family. "Thanks," Zuko said in reply to their attempts at cheering him up. He turned around and made his way to the kettle perched on top of a small hot plate they had instead of a kitchen, presumably to make tea, and Aang and Katara had their first look into something that made Zuko happy. 

Tea cup perched in between his hands, he sat on his bed, seeming more comfortable than before. He sipped at it a few times before looking over at the couple, who had just been watching him, intrigued. "Are you two alright?" 

They tried to act natural and pretend they hadn't been staring at him, but it was pretty obvious. Aang kept opening his mouth to come up with an excuse and then closing it when he realized how silly it would sound. In seeing her boyfriend act like a complete idiot, along with Zuko finally being happy, she let out a small laugh that grew as Aang joined in. Their shared laugh lasted until they didn't even remember why they were laughing, but it was comfortable and fun, feelings they never expected to have in front of Zuko. As their laughter died down, they were both glad to see a smile on Zuko's face.

After a few minutes, Zuko left to study in the library like usual, and Aang and Katara were left to reflect on what happened. 

"Well, that went better than I could've guessed," Katara said.

"His tea's amazing," Aang said in reply.

"I think  _ he's _ amazing," Katara confessed, and Aang couldn't help but agree.

* * *

  
  


For the weeks following, Zuko was more open with them, and sometimes watched TV or went with them to Katara and Suki's room to play board games. Despite all odds, they seemed to really get along with each other, and even when Katara's brother came to visit on days he had off of work, Zuko seemed to tolerate him, even if Sokka wasn't the easiest to get along with.

Then, on a particularly uneventful day, Zuko is the one who offers to go out to lunch with them, and Aang and Katara are ecstatic. It wasn't just any lunch, though, because Zuko offered to pay for a meal at a small tea place that neither of them had been to. Once the two of them saw it, though, they knew this wouldn't be their last time visiting. It was decorated beautifully, the service was great, and the tea was amazing. Something about it reminded them of Zuko's tea.

After making the usual small talk about classes, Katara decided to ask what was on both of their minds. "So, why did you bring us here?" 

"I feel comfortable here." Zuko smiled as he said it, and although they didn't understand what he meant by that, they were glad this place made him happy. 

After a few minutes of quiet sipping their tea quietly, an older guy approached their table. He seemed familiar with Zuko, asking him a casual question. "Nephew, do you care to introduce me to your new friends?" 

"Oh," Zuko said, a little unprepared for the question. "Well, this is Katara, and this is Aang." He pointed to each of them in turn.

"Nice to meet you, sir," Aang said and smiled politely, Katara doing the same until the man left and they could ask Zuko what that was all about.

"Did he just call you 'nephew'?" Katara asked, surprised and a little curious if this was his real uncle, or if they were just close enough friends to be related. 

"Yeah, this is my uncle's shop. I work here on the weekends," Zuko revealed between sips of tea, and although it surprised them, it was another insight into Zuko's life they were happy to have learned. 

Soon, going to the tea place became a weekly thing, and they even visited Zuko while he was working sometimes. It seemed to be the place where he was most comfortable, so Aang and Katara took advantage of that opportunity, talking to him about his personal life more often than ever. 

Then, one day driving home after they had spent almost an hour distracting Zuko at his job, Aang blurted out, "he looks cute in that uniform," without realizing what he was really saying. His face went red, and he tried to find an excuse before Katara replied.

"Yeah, you're right. He does." Then, rather than leave the awkward air around them, continued, "And that sweater he wore last week? Really brought out his eyes." There was a bit of humor in her voice, as if she wasn't sure if she was joking or not.

Aang didn't know how else to reply than with, "His eyes are very pretty."

They went back and forth for a while, comparing notes about the parts of Zuko they found attractive, as if both of them were just figuring this out for the first time together. Katara broke the cycle by asking, "Do we like him?" 

Aang paused for a second, taken aback by the question. "Yeah, I think so."

"How are we-- do we--" Katara stuttered through multiple questions, not sure which to ask of the hundreds that were forming. 

Aang admitted he didn't know the answer to any of this either, and that was the end of the conversation for a while.

Until three days later, when the two of them were sitting on the couch, relaxing after a hard day of classes, and Zuko sat right in the middle of them with his cup of tea. They made small, starled noises at the act, mainly from the contact his legs made with theirs, and Zuko frowned. "Sorry, am I intruding? I didn't know where to--" 

Katara interrupted before he could talk himself into moving. "No! You're fine." 

They sat in silence for a while, Katara taking note of how closely Aang watched Zuko's lips as he sipped his tea. "Can I have some?" Aang asked, mischief in his voice.

Zuko didn't seem to catch on to Aang's tone of voice and answered seriously. "Some tea? Well, this is the last of the pot, but I could go make some more."

"I just want to try a sip. Can I have some of yours?" 

Zuko seemed puzzled, but handed his drink over. 

Aang looked as his girlfriend as he sipped from the cup, sure to rub in the fact that it was technically an indirect kiss. Katara rolled her eyes and seemed slightly annoyed with him, but there was still a smile on her face. Aang gave back the cup. "Thank you, Zuko."

He took the cup back and looked between the two of them. "You guys are acting weird," he said and got up from the couch to sit on his bed and drink his tea in peace, causing Aang and Katara to silently groan in disappointment now that their moment of closeness to him was gone. 

Since that day, though, they were both sure that they had feelings for Aang's roommate. The only problem was, they had no idea what to do about them. 


End file.
